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Recently I took part in a wedding where the Bride’s best friend offered to be the wedding coordinator. Although it is totally understandable why such an offer might be appealing to a cost conscious bride, I can only emphasize that oftentimes when it comes to using amateurs you get exactly what you pay for.

On this particular occasion, the rehearsal was so very unorganized. This coordinator was asking the bride at the rehearsal how she wanted things done (something a competent professional would have known beforehand). This created an awkward predicament where the bride was expressing her desire only after many of the guests had weighed in their opinions. The rehearsal ended up taking three times longer than it needed to take. And, lest you think a three hour rehearsal would make the ceremony itself smooth sailing, it didn’t.

Professionals wedding vendors are the way to go. They have expertise in their field, and they deliver quality goods and services. A wedding vendor who has been in business for any length of time will oftentimes have the quality of work that allows them to continue to work in the field.

So, my advice to those cost conscious brides: Thank you well intentioned friend for the offer, and Hire Professionals! Years from now, when you look back on your wedding memories, you will not miss the money you spent years ago, and you will have awesome wedding memories.

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(?? – April 15, 2016)
It was a normal work day for me in 2005. I received a call from Michelle asking me to go to Parker’s to check on this dog. I arrived at Parker’s some 15 minutes later to see this mange-covered dog who was skin and bones. She was a walking skeleton who was begging food scraps.
I tried to call her, but she would not come. I went inside and bought a pack of beef jerky. That did the trick. She reluctantly got into my car, and I took her to the vet.
We named her “Sebastian”, thinking she was a boy. Her hind quarters were so inflamed that she appeared to me male. We later found out she was female, and Kylee named her “Daisy”.
After her return from the vet, we took her home. With the help of Ensure she quickly gained weight. She happily adjusted to life in our family. She readily made friends with our other dogs, Gretchen and Sadie. “Blacky”, my father-in-law called her, was a part of the family.
She had such a loving and gentle nature. When Gretchen and Sadie got older and sicker, it was Daisy who would lick and nurture them. Daisy, we found out, knew tricks. She could sit, lay down, shake, and potty. Michelle and I always said, “Whoever had her before us really loved her;” they took the time to train and work with her.
She did, when she was able, have the tendency to run away. As aggravating as that tendency was, I’m grateful for it because that very same tendency would run her to Parkers and into our lives.
To Daisy’s original family: we believe you had young children because she was always loved and was natural around kids/babies. We want you to know that your sweet girl found a good family and a loving home. She lived a great life.
She watched Michelle and me marry. She was with us for Krishelle’s wedding. She watched Kylee and Jacob go through high school and college. She was a comfort as we buried Michelle’s dad and my mom. She was a comfort to us as we lost Gretchen and Sadie.
I remember our road trip to Montgomery. I took her to see my dad, thinking that an older dog would remind him of the benefits of pet ownership. I enjoyed that trip with her as I was “Driving Miss Daisy”.
There was the time that Michelle and I returned from a Jaguar game to find that she had destroyed our garage. There was another time when she didn’t want to be locked out, so she destroyed the back door and siding. After some destroyed door frames we learned that she had a deathly fear of thunderstorms. All of this was rooted in her desire to be with us, with her family, with “the pack”. That was her safety and security.
She would become the senior dog of the house. For Sandy, she was always a reliable bed partner who didn’t mind the “Sandy-cuddle”. For Rita, Daisy was a maternal figure. Rita would stand still while Daisy bathed her with a mother’s care. Maybe that whole time Daisy was licking to see why Rita’s given name of “Marguerita” did not match her taste. Rita would freak out whenever I took Daisy somewhere without the her. Rita will have a rough time dealing with losing Daisy.
For both Sandy and Rita, Daisy was the referee and the one to settle fights. She also was the leader of the nightly dog parade to go potty.
In her last weeks, she would adjust to a move to a new house in a different neighborhood. Always a trooper, she adapted to her new life and surroundings.
Time took a toll on her. Her hair got grayer, her joints got stiffer, and her eyes grew dimmer. She would spend more time sleeping as indicated by her steady snore. But her love of life stayed strong and vibrant.
She taught me with her gentle spirit. She taught me with her sense of adventure. Even with a shock collar and invisible fence, she was the one who’d say “Sometimes chasing the bird is worth the shock!” She has helped me be more gentle, caring, loving, and adventuresome.
Her body was getting old, but she remained young at heart. Right up to the end she was picking up a toy to play tug of war with Rita. She remained interested in toys, squirrels, birds, treats, and “Sunday dinners.” She would still bark at the UPS man.
The vet was there at the beginning of our journey together, and the vet was there at the end. Now there is no more pain in your eyes, and we can give you this one last gift of love. As we brought you to the vet to find you some comfort, you comforted us. Rest easy and at peace.
My sweet Daisy Parker, I love you and I will miss you. As you cross that Rainbow Bridge, please give a big wet kiss to Gretchen and Sadie (and Peanut, whom you’ve not met yet). Tell them all how much we love and miss them!

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It was with a heavy heart that I heard of the death of Wayne Dyer this past weekend. I have heard him speak a few times in person, and was looking forward to attending his conference in just nineteen more days in Orlando.

Some of the truths he taught ring true for me.

1. Don’t die with your music still in you. We were each sent here on purpose. Our quest in this life is to find and live from that place.

2. Every problem has a spiritual solution. Those things we call “problems” exist in our minds. When we change the way we look at things, the things we look at change. And I would further say, when we change the way we look at things, the way things look changes.

3. We can approach life from a place of gratitude. We can start each day saying “Good morning, God” rather than “Good God, morning.” If we choose the first approach our entire experience of the day is different.

4. Live your passion. When we live passionately, the lines between work and play are blurred.

5. As he quoted Chardin, “We are immortal spiritual beings, having a temporary human experience.” This is the truth rather than the other way around.

Thank you, Dr. Dyer. I love you. I will miss you. Until we meet again, Namaste!